Pinney, Sherry Ellen

Sherry Ellen Pinney, 72, longtime resident of Santa Rosa, Calif., died peacefully Saturday, Aug. 28, 2013. Sherry was born March 29, 1941, in Burlington, Iowa, the daughter of Ray and Eileen Hanson Pinney.

Sherry will be interred with her parents at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Parnell, Iowa. A Memorial Mass will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, 618 E. Davenport St., in Iowa City.

She was a graduate of Regina High School in Iowa City.

In her 20s, Sherry moved to California, where she performed clerical work and some journalism for the Berkeley Barb, an underground, countercultural newspaper produced in Berkeley, Calif. She was part of the fabric of the flamboyant, gentle spirit of the ‘60s, and its lasting effect remained with her until her death.

In her later years, Sherry was pleased to be reunited with two children who she had relinquished for adoption in the 1960s, Judy Deggendorf of Kansas and Daniel McSweeney of California.

Sherry had a lifelong love of music, songwriting and singing and a vast knowledge about the history of rock music. She leaves a legacy of self-sacrifice and generosity of spirit.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, John; and sisters, Marilyn (Magnuson) and Susan (Miller).

May she rest in peace.

Condolences may be sent to the family at

Published Sept. 16, 2013 in The Gazette